1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a seat assembly for an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a seat assembly having a handle assembly for actuating a head restraint and a seat back.
2. Description of Related Art
Automotive vehicles include one or more seat assemblies for supporting seat occupants within a passenger compartment of the vehicle. A typical seat assembly includes a seat back pivotally coupled to a seat cushion. It is well known in the seating art to provide a seat back recliner mechanism or release mechanism operatively coupled between the seat back and seat cushion that allows the seat back to pivot between a generally upright seating position and a forwardly folded position overlying the seat cushion when it is desired to increase the amount of available storage space within the vehicle.
Additionally, the typical seat assembly often includes a head restraint coupled to an upper end of the seat back. The head restraint increases the overall height of the seat back such that when the seat assembly is located in a second or third row within the vehicle, the head restraint has a tendency to interfere with a forward seat assembly when the seat back is pivoted between the upright seating position and the forwardly folded position. Thus, it is necessary to move the head restraint from a use position when the seat back is in the upright seating position to a stowed position prior to pivoting the seat back to the forwardly folded position. A latch mechanism is operatively coupled between the head restraint and the seat back to allow the head restraint to pivot between the use position and the stowed position.
The head restraint also impedes driver rearward visibility when the seat back is in the upright seating position. It is well known in the seating art to allow the head restraint to pivot from the use position to the stowed position to improve driver rearward visibility without pivoting the seat back to the forwardly folded position.
Commonly, the seat assembly will include a first handle assembly for actuating the latch mechanism to move the head restraint from the use position to the stowed position and a second handle assembly for actuating the release mechanism to move the seat back from the upright seating position to the forwardly folded position. Having first and second handle assemblies with separate functions increases the cost and complexity of the seat assembly. As well, positioning two handle assemblies on the seat assembly for easy access can be difficult and may detract from the overall appearance of the seat assembly. Further, because the first and second handle assemblies actuate the latch mechanism and the release mechanism separately, it is important that a user remember to operate the first and second handle assemblies in the correct order otherwise the head restraint will remain in the use position as the seat back pivots from the upright seating position to the forwardly folded position causing interference between the head restraint and the forward seat assembly.
Alternatively, the functions of the first and second handle assemblies, i.e. actuating the latch mechanism and the release mechanism, may be combined into a single handle assembly. When the functions of the first and second handle assemblies are combined into a typical single handle assembly, the efforts of both functions become additive, thus increasing the effort felt by an end user.
It is therefore desirable to provide a single handle assembly for actuating both a head restraint latch mechanism and a seat back release mechanism. It is also desirable that the single handle assembly actuate the head restraint latch mechanism to move the head restraint from a use position to a stowed position prior to actuating the seat back release mechanism to pivot a seat back from an upright seating position to a forwardly folded position. It is further desirable that the single handle assembly allow actuate the head restraint latch mechanism to move the head restraint from the use position to the stowed position without actuating the seat back release mechanism. It is still further desirable that the single handle assembly actuate both the head restraint latch mechanism and the seat back release mechanism without combining the individual efforts of each.